Ryan Borgwardt, 45, of Watertown, Wisconsin, United States is believed to be hiding in Europe. He is accused of fleeing to the continent via Canada after faking his own death.
Borgwardt is a woodworker and an experienced kayaker. His wife Emily Borgwardt, 44, is a first grade teacher at Trinity St. Luke’s Lutheran School in Watertown.
In July 2002, Ryan and Emily got married. They have three children together namely Jeremiah Borgwardt, Levi Borgwardt and Norah Borgwardt.
Jeremiah and Levi attend Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Norah goes to Trinity St. Luke’s Lutheran School.
Ryan Borgwardt
Aside from Watertown, Ryan has lived in other parts of Wisconsin including Appleton and Oconomowoc. He previously lived in Lovettsville, Virginia, USA.
From 2014 to 2019, Ryan attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. In May 2018, he became the president of Crimson Branch Woodwork and Acrylic in Watertown.
In January 2024, Ryan took out a $375,000 life insurance policy and purchased airline cards. Prior to this, he changed all the email addresses linked to his bank accounts, communicated with a woman in Uzbekistan and transferred funds to a foreign bank account.
In May 2024, Ryan obtained a new passport after reporting his original passport lost or stolen.
On August 11, 2024, Ryan replaced the hard drive on his laptop and cleared his browser history. That day, he left for a fishing trip on Green Lake, Green Lake County, Wisconsin, which is around an hour north of his residence in Watertown.
At 10:49 p.m., Ryan sent a text message to Emily telling her that he was “turning around and heading to shore soon”. That was their last communication and he failed to return home.
On the morning of August 12, 2024, Ryan’s capsized kayak was found in the lake and his vehicle was found at Dodge Memorial Park in Markesan, Green Lake County. A fishing rod that belonged to him and a tackle box with his license, wallet and set of keys were found.
At 5:32 p.m., Ryan was reported missing. On August 13, 2024, law enforcement in Canada checked his name and found out that he has two passports.
In September 2024, Ryan turned 45. On November 8, 2024, the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that he staged his disappearance before likely fleeing to Europe.
As of November 12, 2024, no charges have been filed against Ryan. Authorities have yet to determine his exact whereabouts.
CONAN Daily 